Cycling news - CCC Team announce Matteo Trentin signing as rebuild begins

30-year-old Trentin won Stage 17 on the Tour de France to re-affirm his status as one of the stronger riders around following a collarbone injury in 2018.

The Italian becomes the first major addition to the men’s WorldTour side following their takeover by Dariusz Milek and the CCC company after BMC withdrew funding and will join the side for the 2020 season.

He will partner Greg van Avermaet during the classics and as he showed during the Tour he has the power and climbing ability to bring victories to the team during the Grand Tours.

"Not only will Matteo add strength to our Classics team, where he will ride alongside Greg Van Avermaet, but his versatility as a rider will make him an asset to the team.” Team Manager Jim Ochowicz said in a statement.

“As we saw in the Tour de France, not only can Matteo sprint, but he can also climb and it was his attack on the final climb on stage 17 that led him to the impressive solo stage win,

"We were looking to boost our Classics team with a rider capable of winning and someone who could work with Greg to give the team multiple cards to play, and Matteo ticks both of those boxes.

“With 23 career victories to his name, Matteo has already carved out an impressive palmarès and we hope to add to that when he pulls on the CCC Team jersey next year."

Trentin pointed to the staff members at CCC he already knew as well as the chance to pursue victories during the classics next year.

“I wasn’t necessarily looking to change teams but I found myself with a good opportunity to join CCC Team. I know [sport director] Fabio Baldato and Alessandro De Marchi well, and it was the team Manuel Quinziato raced in until the end of his career, so it is a team I know well,” Trentin said.

“In the Classics, Greg Van Avermaet is always up there in every race and I am there more and more so I think we will have more opportunities together racing in the same team, rather than against each other. I’m looking forward to that next year.

“I’m still missing a victory, or even a podium, in a big Classic so I would like to achieve that in the next seasons.

“I would also like to target the sprint jersey in a Grand Tour. I was second in sprint classifications in the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España, and I think it’s something I can do.

“Of course, you need to always be up there, but I showed in this Tour de France that I was always there. I think the jersey is something I can achieve and something that would be nice to have once in my career.”